Psychometric Validation and Factorial Structure Analysis of the Urdu Version of the Delaware School Climate Survey-Student (DSCS-S)

Abstract

Background: A positive school climate plays a central role in promoting adolescents’ psychological well-being, social adjustment, and academic success. Reliable and culturally sensitive assessment tools are essential for evaluating school climate within diverse populations, particularly in contexts where cultural norms may shape students’ perceptions of their educational environment. Although the DSCS-S has demonstrated strong psychometric properties across various countries, an Urdu-validated version has not been available for use among Pakistani adolescents. Establishing such a tool is crucial for improving school climate assessment and informing evidence-based interventions in local educational settings. The present study aimed to (a) translate and culturally adapt the DSCS-S into Urdu, (b) evaluate its cross-language validation, (c) examine its reliability, and (d) confirm the factor structure proposed by the original authors within a Pakistani adolescent population.

Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted using purposive sampling with Pakistani adolescents. The DSCS-S was translated into Urdu following a standardized five-phase Back-Translation procedure, including forward translation, expert reconciliation, selection of the preliminary Urdu version, back translation, and final verification of the back-translated version. Cross-language validation was performed with 64 adolescents to assess equivalence between the Urdu and English versions. Reliability analyses included internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha) and test–retest reliability over a 15-day interval. The factorial structure of the Urdu DSCS-S was evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in a larger sample of 910 adolescents, testing the five-factor model encompassing Teacher–Student Relations, Student–Student Relations, Fairness of Rules, School Safety, and Liking of School.

Results: The Urdu DSCS-S demonstrated high internal consistency (α = .91), comparable to the English version (α = .90). Test–retest reliability revealed strong temporal stability between the two forms (r = .97). CFA supported the adequacy of the original five-factor model, indicating that the Urdu version maintains strong construct validity and an excellent model fit within the Pakistani cultural context.

Conclusions: The Urdu version of the DSCS-S is a psychometrically robust, culturally appropriate instrument for assessing school climate among Pakistani adolescents. Its use can support educators, school psychologists, and researchers in identifying school climate strengths and weaknesses and in designing targeted interventions to foster inclusive, supportive, and developmentally enriching educational environments.